Pennsylvania Case Commentaries

De Novo Standard of Review for Office of Open Records Determinations under the Right-to-Know Law

Date: Aug 21, 2013

De Novo Standard of Review for Office of Open Records Determinations under the Right-to-Know Law Introduction Brian BOWLING v. OFFICE OF OPEN RECORDS is a significant case adjudicated by the Supreme...

Pathological Bonds and Termination of Parental Rights: Pennsylvania Supreme Court Establishes New Precedent

Date: Jul 23, 2013

Pathological Bonds and Termination of Parental Rights: Pennsylvania Supreme Court Establishes New Precedent Introduction The case of In re T.S.M., A Minor. Appeal of T.S.M., A Minor. et al. (71 A.3d...

Conflict of Interest and Timeliness in PCRA Petitions: Insights from Commonwealth v. Taylor

Date: May 30, 2013

Conflict of Interest and Timeliness in PCRA Petitions: Insights from Commonwealth v. Taylor Introduction Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Paul Gamboa Taylor is a significant case adjudicated by the...

Affirmation of Death Sentence in COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania v. Laquaille Bryant Establishes Rigorous Standards for Capital Punishment

Date: May 29, 2013

Affirmation of Death Sentence in COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania v. Laquaille Bryant Establishes Rigorous Standards for Capital Punishment Introduction The case of COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania v....

Edmiston v. Commonwealth: Affirmation of Strict PCRA Timeliness and DNA Testing Standards

Date: Apr 25, 2013

Edmiston v. Commonwealth: Affirmation of Strict PCRA Timeliness and DNA Testing Standards Introduction In Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Stephen Rex Edmiston, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania...

Balancing Attorney-Client Privilege with Government Transparency: Insights from Levy v. Senate of Pennsylvania

Date: Apr 25, 2013

Balancing Attorney-Client Privilege with Government Transparency: Insights from Levy v. Senate of Pennsylvania Introduction The case of Marc Levy v. Senate of Pennsylvania, adjudicated by the Supreme...

Timeliness and Classification of Habeas Corpus as PCRA Petitions in Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Taylor

Date: Apr 20, 2013

Timeliness and Classification of Habeas Corpus as PCRA Petitions in Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Taylor Introduction In the landmark case of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Thomas Duane Taylor, 65...

Preservation Requirements for Sentencing Appeals: Analysis of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Griffin

Date: Apr 3, 2013

Preservation Requirements for Sentencing Appeals: Analysis of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Griffin Introduction Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Antwine Griffin (65 A.3d 932), adjudicated by the...

Simpson v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: Establishing Standards for Post-Conviction Relief Claims

Date: Mar 27, 2013

Simpson v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: Establishing Standards for Post-Conviction Relief Claims Introduction In the landmark case of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Rasheed Simpson, the Supreme...

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Limits Mandatory Life Without Parole Sentences for Juvenile Murderers

Date: Mar 27, 2013

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Limits Mandatory Life Without Parole Sentences for Juvenile Murderers Introduction Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Qu‘Eed Batts, 66 A.3d 286 (Pa. 2013), is a landmark...

Appellate Review Standards in Weight of the Evidence Claims: Commonwealth v. Pennsylvania

Date: Feb 9, 2013

Appellate Review Standards in Weight of the Evidence Claims: Commonwealth v. Pennsylvania Introduction In the landmark case of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Jamel Clay, Jason Sale Claybrook, and...

Reaffirmation of Limited Physician Duty: No Common Law Obligation to Warn Third Parties of Inmate's Communicable Diseases

Date: Dec 29, 2012

Reaffirmation of Limited Physician Duty: No Common Law Obligation to Warn Third Parties of Inmate's Communicable Diseases Introduction In the landmark case Michelle Seebold v. Prison Health Services,...

Commonwealth v. Sepulveda: Establishing Standards for Effective Counsel in Capital Cases

Date: Nov 29, 2012

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Sepulveda: Establishing Standards for Effective Counsel in Capital Cases Introduction Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Manuel Marcus Sepulveda, 55 A.3d 1108 (Pa. 2012),...

Ineffective Assistance of Counsel in Capital Sentencing: Commonwealth v. Carolyn Ann King

Date: Nov 27, 2012

Ineffective Assistance of Counsel in Capital Sentencing: Commonwealth v. Carolyn Ann King Introduction In the landmark case of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Carolyn Ann King (57 A.3d 607), the...

Establishing Corporate Negligence Liability in Skilled Nursing Facilities

Date: Nov 22, 2012

Establishing Corporate Negligence Liability in Skilled Nursing Facilities Introduction In the landmark case Richard Scampone, as Executor of the Estate of Madeline Scampone v. Highland Park Care...

Upholding the Presumption of Effective Counsel in Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Busanet

Date: Oct 20, 2012

Upholding the Presumption of Effective Counsel in Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Busanet Introduction The case of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Jose Busanet, reported at 54 A.3d 35, was...

Strict Enforcement of Timeliness in Post Conviction Relief Act Petitions: Insights from Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Aaron Jones

Date: Sep 29, 2012

Strict Enforcement of Timeliness in Post Conviction Relief Act Petitions: Insights from Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Aaron Jones Introduction Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Aaron Jones, 54 A.3d...

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Robert C. Elliott, Jr.: Affirming Board Authority to Impose Supervision Conditions

Date: Sep 8, 2012

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Robert C. Elliott, Jr.: Affirming Board Authority to Impose Supervision Conditions Introduction Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Robert C. Elliott, Jr. (50 A.3d 1284),...

Commonwealth v. Mouzon: Upholding Burden on Commonwealth to Disprove Self-Defense and Admissibility of Victim's Prior Convictions

Date: Aug 22, 2012

Commonwealth v. Mouzon: Upholding Burden on Commonwealth to Disprove Self-Defense and Admissibility of Victim's Prior Convictions Introduction Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Darrin Mouzon, 53 A.3d...

Admissibility of Co-Defendant Statements in Commonwealth v. Brown: A New Precedent

Date: Aug 22, 2012

Admissibility of Co-Defendant Statements in Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Brown: A New Precedent Introduction In the landmark case of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Brown, decided on August 21,...